Stefan's Best Friend
by elenastarkiller
Summary: This is set back in 1864. What if Stefan had a human best friend before Katherine came? This is the story of Alexis Holloway, who wanted Stefan more than anything. Please comment!
1. Back to Mystic Falls

Chapter 1: Back to Mystic Falls

The carriage was almost there. I felt myself wanting to scream at the horses pulling me to go faster, but I knew I had to act ladylike and perfect for _him, _the one who would be awaiting my return. Still, the thought of getting out of the carriage and running the remaining quarter mile that kept us apart was ingrained in my head. Only my pride and my love for him kept me in my seat.

Who was this man? His name was Stefan, Stefan Salvatore. I'd known him as far back as I could remember, and I knew it was the same for him. This love for him wasn't true love; it was a friendship that we both knew would last our entire lives. Though I thought it was changing for me. I wanted to try a relationship and hope for the best. But I knew that although that might be what I wanted, he had to want it, too, because it wasn't proper for a lady to profess her love to a man. Even though we were still both seventeen, I felt like that's what we were: a lady and a man, bound together by the closest friendship I'd ever seen or heard of.

Finally, I could see the white mansion that was my second home. I rested my eyes upon _him, _and I couldn't wait any longer. I jumped out of the still-moving carriage and ran as fast as I could to my personal adviser and best friend. I didn't like this dress, anyway.

"Stefan!" I shouted as my body slammed into his. I had forgotten how _warm _he was.

"Alexis!" he said back, with a laugh in his voice that told me all I needed to know.

Stefan was wearing a white shirt and black pants that day. His suspenders were above the shirt, just like I loved them. His eyes seemed even more green than usual, his hair a lighter brown and more perfect. My memory did not do this man justice. And that comment was from a totally friend-like perspective. I think.

The hug lasted a long while, as it should. I had been gone for a month for my mother's funeral in South Carolina. I was now an orphan. Stefan helped me forget about it for a little while in his comforting embrace. He radiated sympathy and compassion. That's what I loved about him. He knew exactly what I was feeling, and how to help me be happy again. I guess it came naturally after doing it for seventeen years.

Then I heard the steps of someone walking onto the porch. My moment ruined, I turned to face the newcomer and stared in awe at the girl standing in the doorway.

She was the incarnation of beauty, with olive skin, brown, curled hair, and brown eyes. She had on a dress that even I would wear by choice, which is saying a lot, and a pretty lapis lazuli necklace that I would kill for. I couldn't believe my eyes. Was it possible for one person to be this pretty?

Stefan bowed, muttering, "Miss Pierce," with a smile on his face. Uh oh.

"Who is our guest?" she asked. "You didn't tell me we were to have company." She was looking at me up and down, and I realized how ugly I must seem compared to her. My dress was torn at the bottom, and my face had dirt all over it. I should have stayed in the carriage.

"She is no guest. She's my best friend, Alexis," he told Ms. Pierce. "Alexis, this is Miss Katherine Pierce. She is an orphan, and my father was kind enough to invite her to stay with us."

I curtsied, as was proper, but I was seething inside. I left for a month, and I came back and Stefan was all Romeo and Juliet with this girl that I didn't know. Who I could never compete with, I might add. I guess this sends my relationship idea down the drain.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Pierce." Not.

"The pleasure is mine, Miss, uh,-"

"Just Alexis. I don't go by my last name." I guess he never even mentioned me. Jealousy and hatred for this girl named Katherine consumed me. How could she have gotten Stefan to forget about me?

"And you can call me Katherine. Any friend of Stefan's is a friend of mine," she finished. Do we have to be friends?

Stefan smiled, obviously missing my "strong" feelings for Katherine. He thought we were getting _along_! Keep dreaming, sweetie.

Even though I already loathed Katherine, I saw the sparkle in Stefan's eyes when he saw Katherine and me bonding. I could never disappoint him. I decided at that moment that I could never tell him my true feelings for him because of my need for him. This was going to get complicated.

As I thought through all of this, Damon Salvatore stepped onto the already crowded porch. Damon was Stefan's older brother, and he was extremely gorgeous. He had electric blue eyes, brown wavy hair, and was a head taller than Stefan. If I didn't know how obnoxious he was, I would have a crush on him.

"Damon," I said.

"Alexis."

"Aren't you supposed to be fighting for the Confederacy right now?" I asked with mock sweetness in my voice.

"Well, I tried it, but war just isn't my style," he replied. Ugh. The only reason I put up with Damon was for Stefan. Stefan and Damon were closer than most brothers, almost always together. Today, though, they didn't look very happy with each other.

The reality of why this was suddenly hit me. Damon loved Katherine, too. His eyes gave everything away. They were _fighting_ over her! This was even worse than I thought. I was glad I had gotten back now.

I was ready to retort, but Stefan felt the fight coming. "Why don't I show you to your new room?" he asked. "Let me carry your things."

"What's wrong with the room I always stay in?" I inquired. I already knew the answer.

"Well, we, uh, put Katherine in that room. We didn't know when you were coming back, and, so-"

I cut him off. "Yeah, I know, my room is the best guest room in the house. Well, come on then. I don't want to get the lazy disease from Damon." I coughed. Well, at least I got something in.

"Hey!" he began, but Katherine cut him off.

"Why don't we go for a walk? I need to see Pearl." Who was Pearl? Hopefully not more competition.

She left the porch, and Damon followed like her slave. He probably was her slave. But I didn't care about Damon.

I started to open the door, but Stefan closed it.

"What?" I asked. "I'm tired." Whoops. That sounded kind of mean. But I was not in a good mood right now.

"What do you think of Katherine?" he asked. "I mean, does she seem good for, well, me?"

I was about to say how awful I thought she was, but then I remembered my promise. _I could never share my true feelings._ Well, this was going to be really hard.

"I think she's great," I told him. I was such a liar. "You seem happier around her." Not a lie, just the bitter truth.

"You think so?" He was so excited. How could I put tears into those perfect green eyes?

"Yeah, I do."

I walked inside before my face could give myself away.


	2. The Awkward Dinner

Chapter 2: The Awkward Dinner

I stayed in my "new" room after that, unpacking the few belongings that I had taken with me. The rest had disappeared. I would have to ask Giuseppe about that.

I liked Giuseppe. He was kind to Stefan and Damon, and they needed that. Their mother had died when she had Stefan, so all Stefan had ever known was Giuseppe. Damon, however, did not like his father. They were always arguing over things. When they did, Stefan and I would go to the next room and burst into laughter. Always. But it looked like things that used to be were not going to be anymore.

I looked around the room again, and I thought of my old one. My room was always a little cluttered, but not horrible. You would be able to tell someone stayed there just by walking in. This new room looked unoccupied and creepy. The room was completely barren except for the few things that I had unpacked. It wasn't _right._ I sat on my new bed, thinking of how much better life would be without Katherine in it. But I knew my fantasies would never be anything more than just that, fantasies. But I couldn't help it. Slowly, the room around me faded, and I was immersed in a daydream….

Stefan and I were outside by our favorite statue. It was, ironically, of Cupid holding his arrow. We always made fun of it, saying it should put more clothes on. But now, we were running around the garden playing a game I recognized as tag. It was always fun to run away from Stefan, laughing my head off and not giving a care in the world. That was exactly what we were doing. Stefan was panting and laughing, and I was fleeing.

"Stop! Come on, Alexis," he said. Lazy.

"I win! In your face, slow poke!" I told him. We always rubbed wins into each other's faces, just for fun.

Then he ran up to me and tagged me. "Just kidding, loser!" He ran away. Dang it. I never fell for that.

I dashed toward him, and I, being faster than him, ran him over. I landed on top of him, giggling away. He was smiling and laughing, too.

Then we stared at each other. I knew it was time. I leaned down to kiss him and….

"Hey, _sporco,_ it's supper time!" I was shaken out of my daydream by the sound of Damon's voice. He was standing in the doorway, looking pleased that he knew how to say dirty in Italian.

"Okay, _cochino,_" I retorted. If he was going to call me disgusting in a different language, then I was going to do it to him. "I'll be there in a minute." I still had not washed my face, and I knew I had to at least change my dress. I also had to hurry. I couldn't be late for supper.

I picked the first appropriate dress I found. It was burgundy red, with a black sash across the waist. There was a hat that was supposed to go with it, but I didn't feel like looking for it. I actually liked this dress. And Stefan had helped me buy it, which meant that he liked it, too.

Next was my face. All I could do was pick the dirt off my face. I didn't have time to go to a washing room. Well, I never really did get what I wanted.

As soon as I was decent enough for supper, I raced out my door and down the white stairs that had the railings that I always slid down. But I wasn't about to take my chances today. I wanted to look perfect for Stefan. Or as perfect as I could pull off.

I was panting as I entered the dining hall, muttering "Sorry I'm late" to Giuseppe. Stefan had a smile on his face, like he was trying not to laugh. He was probably thinking of all the times I had been late for supper. Now it was my turn to suppress my laughter.

There was only one empty seat, and it was next to Damon. Great. Giuseppe was at the head of the table. On his right was Stefan, and next to Stefan was, you guessed it, Katherine. Damon was on the other side of Katherine, and then there was my empty seat. On the other side of Giuseppe the same blacks that were here before I had left. Except for one. She was pretty for a slave, with big, brown eyes and a dazzling smile. The second she smiled at me, I knew who she worked for.

"You must be Katherine's negro," I said. Wow, Alexis, I thought. Real nice.

"She is my…servant," Katherine replied. "Not slave."

"She's _paid_?" I asked with disbelief. This was not a conversation I wanted to have.

"Yes, of course." Katherine was sounding very offended now. Good. "Why wouldn't she be paid? She's done so _much _for me."

"Right. I'm sorry. I'm known to be blunt," I said. I had to try to be nice for Stefan.

Giuseppe changed the subject as we all received our meal. "Alexis, I don't know if you've heard, but Mayor Lockwood is hosting a ball next week. As an honorary member of the Salvatore family, you are invited also."

"Thank you, Mr. Salvatore, but I do not know if a _ball _is something I would have fun at." Did I ever mention how much I liked Giuseppe?

"You're probably right," he replied with a hint of a smile on his face. "Well, if you change your mind, just let me know."

Stefan snorted a second after he put food into his mouth. The food came tumbling out as he held a napkin up to his face. Now I had to start laughing. We were both giggling hysterically. Damon and Giuseppe were even getting close to laughter. Katherine, on the other hand, looked like she just didn't understand the power of humor. She probably didn't, especially when it came to me and comedy. Party pooper.

"Stefan," she complained. "I do not understand. Why are we laughing?" Wait. Why are _we _laughing?

"Katherine," he said, still in hysterics. I knew he couldn't explain this. "You'll get it one day. Trust me."

The rest of supper was pretty uneventful. We ate our food, which was my favorite meat and cornmeal, by the way, and talked a little bit about my trip to South Carolina. I didn't want to say much, because talking about my now deceased mother was not a good conversation starter. I could see hearing about the funeral hurt Giuseppe, too. When Stefan and I were about fourteen, they had tried a relationship. It had worked for Giuseppe, but not so much for my mother. She broke up with him after a year. I think it really broke Giuseppe's heart. I also think that is why he treats me so well.

My mind drifted to the ball. It actually sounded kind of fun. I could laugh and dance and drink away. Then I realized the only way it would be perfect.

I headed to Stefan's room to ask if he would take me to the ball.

When I started up the stairs, I heard bits of conversation from the parlor at the bottom of the stairs.

"Stefan Salvatore, will you escort me to the Founder's Ball?" Katherine.

I had to hear this. I tip-toed back down the stairs.

I got to the parlor doorway just in time to hear Stefan's response.

"It would be my honor to escort you to the ball, Miss Pierce." NOOOOO! How could he do this to me? He was going to go with _her_ instead of me? It was always our dream to grow up and get married, from the time we were six! I mean, it was always a joke, but _still!_ This could not be happening. What did she have over me, other than beauty? _Well, that might be all she needs_, a malicious voice in my head told me. But I had friendship, and knowledge, and…boobs!

"Eavesdropping isn't proper you know," a voice whispered into my ear. Damon stood behind me, looking melancholic.

"Why so sad? Usually making fun of me gives you great pleasure," I told him. Then I realized why. He had listened to that conversation, too. "You know, hypocrisy isn't _proper _either," I said.

"And?" he retorted. "Ah, well, you see the lovely Katherine has chosen Stefan over me. Now I have to do something about that. Would you like to be my partner in crime?" Did _Damon Salvatore _just ask me to help him?

By now, Katherine and Stefan had walked out of the parlor through the other door. Damon and I went into the vacant room to finish our conversation.

"Did you just ask me to _help _you?" I had to ask.

Damon looked like he was swallowing quite a bit of pride. "Yes."

"I don't know," I said. "Doesn't it seem kind of _weird _to you?"

"Yes. But you know, if I get Katherine, you can have my worthless brother all to yourself. You'll win. I saw your loathing for her as soon as I walked onto that porch this morning. It was pretty obvious."

"It was?" Now I was worried. What if Stefan had noticed?

Damon seemed to catch the drift of my thoughts. "Stefan is blind when it comes to love. He didn't notice anything. Now back to this deal. I have a plan to get them broken up. But I need someone's help, and you're pretty the only one who I can think of who might actually do it. Think of it as an honor, Alexis."

"What is this plan? I want to know now, or I'm not going to help you. So spill, Damon."

"Alright, alright. Well, first I have to ask you to be my date to the Founder's Ball…."opHo


	3. Good Day Gone Bad

Chapter 3: Good Day Gone Bad

The next day went by without incident. Damon told Giuseppe that he was taking me to the Founder's Ball, and Giuseppe couldn't have been more ecstatic. Though I think he was happier that I was actually going than the fact that Damon was going with me.

Today, it was my job to tell Stefan that I was going with Damon. I put on my blue dress with the gold buttons and went out to find Stefan.

Stefan was out by the garden. I could see him walking toward our Cupid statue, and I followed him. He didn't know of my presence, and I wanted to scare him to death. It was part of my nature.

I tip-toed towards him, hiding behind bushes when he looked behind. He never noticed, and when he reached the statue, I jumped on him, using his shoulders for support, and screamed, "Surprise!" in his ear.

He was shocked that I could still sneak up on him after all these years. But he went with it, hoisting me onto his back and then running around the garden. I squealed like the girl that I am. We were both laughing our heads off. Then Stefan let go of me, and we both came crashing to the ground in heaps of laughter.

"St-Stefan!" I said through bursts of hysterics, "you should know me better!"

"You should know me better, too, Lux!" Score. Lux was his nickname for me, and it was the only nickname I liked. Hearing it brought up memories that seemed like they were from a different lifetime.

I flipped onto my back, gazing at the cloudless sky. "So," Stefan started. "What is it you want to tell me?"

"How do you know I want to tell you something? Maybe I just saw you and wanted to scare the pants off you."

"Because I know you better than that. So, what do you need to tell me?"

I decided I'd just tell him and get it over with. "I'm going to the ball with Damon," I blurted.

"You? And _Damon? _Who are you, and what have you done with my Lux?" he asked jokingly. I hung onto the fact that he said "_my _Lux."

"Well, I was going to ask you, but then you're going with Katherine…."

"Oh," he replied. I could sense the embarrassment radiating off of him. "I would have asked you, but you sounded like you didn't want to go-"

"You are such a liar!" I said jokingly. I was trying to lighten the mood to no avail.

"Look, Lux, I'm sorry, it's just it was _Katherine,_ and I just couldn't say no." He gave me his pleading look, the one I couldn't resist. Then he turned his face away.

"Look at me Stefan." I took his chin in my hand and turned his head back towards mine. "Let it go. You can't change what has already been done. It's okay. Really." I kissed him on the cheek, which was a polite thing to do between friends. I only wished I could do more.

"But you know what you could do to make it up?" I asked.

"What?" he replied, knowing that he was probably falling into one of my traps. Which of course, he was.

"Let's go shopping. You, me, and your father's money." I smiled mischievously. Giuseppe always loved giving me money, and I hadn't saved one dollar of it. It was no secret that the Salvatores were rich.

Stefan smiled back. "Okay," he replied. "Let's go to Grove Hill. We can go walk to the stables and have someone get a carriage ready for us."

"You know, you may be the only male on the planet who likes to shop," I teased.

"Which is a sign of non-conformity and individualism."

I stuck my tongue out at him. "Sure. Whatever, Stefan."

He laughed. The laugh was so pure, and it always made me laugh, too. Then Stefan and I strolled out of the garden towards our carriage.

* * *

"Ooh, what about this one?" I asked. The dress was a deep blue, with a built-in corset on the back. There was a sweetheart neckline, which would show off my cleavage beautifully. Also, the dress had ruffles that went all the way to the floor, which meant no one would be able to tell what shoes I was wearing (if I was going to wear shoes). The dress was also strapless, as the corset would hold the dress on my body.

"Try it on," he told me. "I want to see what Damon gets to have." Jealousy was a good sign. Well, at least according to Damon it was. He had said that I was to awe Stefan with my "good looks and charm that Stefan seemed to love."

So I did. I couldn't even believe how beautiful I looked. I had never liked dresses much because they were uncomfortable, but this one seemed like it was made for my medium height body.

Stefan was in shock. There was no other way to explain his face. He looked at me up and down with an expression of longing. I was pleased that I was able to do that to him with my pale complexion and hazel eyes.

"Wow," he stated. "You look _stunning_. I might have to escort you instead of Katherine." I knew he meant that as a joke, but I couldn't help but fill with false hope. "I've never seen you look this beautiful and striking. Wow."

"Thank you, Mr. Salvatore," I replied. I knew my face was getting red with embarrassment. "So, I think I'm buying it."

"Yes. It's perfect." We both smiled. Yes, it was perfect.

When we got back, Katherine was on the front porch waiting for Stefan. She looked worried, and I wondered why.

"Oh, Stefan, where were you? I looked _everywhere, _and I couldn't find you!" She gave me an accusing glare. "You had me worried sick!" She put her arms around him. I was filled with disgust and jealousy. What had happened to our moment this morning at the statue? Or when he saw me in the blue dress?

"It's alright, Katherine," he reassured her. "I just went shopping with Alexis in Grove Hill. We found her a dress for the Founder's Ball."

"So you are going, then?" she addressed me.

"Of course. I'm going with Damon." The shock and hatred on her face were priceless. And exactly what Damon and I wanted. But she covered it up flawlessly before Stefan noticed.

"Oh, well, you should have fun. Damon knows how to have a good time." She gave me a tight smile.

"May I see your dress?" she asked.

"Um, well, I would like to keep it a secret until the Ball, so, no."

"Well, I'm sure it is quite lovely if Stefan helped you pick it out."

"Yes. It is very flattering." Who knew bantering with Katherine could be so fun?

"Well, then, supper is waiting. Emily made her special chicken." She smiled at Stefan, ignoring me. It figured.

"Come on, Lux," he told me.

"I'm going to go put this upstairs first, and then I'll be right down." It was hard to leave him with her.

"Okay then. Be quick, I'm hungry," he joked.

"I'll be quicker than the wind," I replied. And with that I ran upstairs, threw my dress on the bed, and raced back down. Then I realized I should have taken longer.

Stefan and Katherine were having a full-blown make-out session in the hallway. Even if it was people I didn't know, it still would have been disgusting. They were all over each other, with Stefan holding Katherine against the wall.

I couldn't watch anymore. I cried myself back upstairs and stayed in there for supper.

An hour later, there was a knock on the door. "Lux?" Stefan called. "I have some leftover supper here for you."

"Leave it on the doorstep and go away, please," I told him. I knew my voice gave away the fact that I was crying, but I didn't care. I wanted Stefan to know my pain.

Stefan didn't listen to me. He opened the door and came inside. "What's wrong, Alexis?" he asked. He set the food on the table next to the bed.

I didn't answer. "Come on, Lux, you have to answer me. I want to help you." He was so sincere, and I just couldn't hold it in any longer. But my sadness came out as anger.

"How was making out with Katherine?" I asked angrily. "Did you enjoy vamping her?"

"What?" he asked.

"Oh, come on, you have _no idea _what I'm talking about?" He shook his head no. "Earlier, when I went to put my dress away, you and Katherine were in the main hall have a very public display of very inappropriate affection. Don't you dare deny it, Stefan!" I yelled, seeing him start to open his mouth. "Just get out, okay? Now."

"But, Lux, I-"

"I said _now._"

He sighed and got up off my bed. Before he closed the door, he said, "I never wanted this." Then he was gone, and I was left to cry the rest of the night.


	4. PreTraumatic Stress

Chapter 4: Pre-Traumatic Stress

I ignored Stefan for the rest of the week, much to Damon's dismay. He claimed my time spent with Stefan would help with the plan. But I couldn't bring myself to face Stefan again. Mostly I rode my horse, Starr, and read books.

Katherine seemed delighted that I was isolating myself. She made moves on both brothers, and I even caught her making out with Damon in the south side of the garden. It took a lot of effort not to puke right then and there.

Today was pivotal, though. It was the night of the much anticipated Founder's Ball, and I was ready to beautify myself for the event. I had one of the slaves, Kiara, help me with the corset while I did my hair and makeup. I decided to make my stick straight hair curly using a technique I learned from my mother. I put little rollers in my hair and let them sit for a couple of hours.

My makeup was very simple. Damon said that Stefan thought I looked better natural, and I took his word for it, for why would Damon lie about something that could sabotage his plan? All I put was a little dark kohl and powdered my nose.

Finally, I was ready. I walked towards the stairs, and met Katherine along the way. She pushed me against the wall.

"What the hell are you doing?" I asked her.

"If you take away _either _of the Salvatores from me, I will hurt you in ways you cannot even imagine. Trust me, it's not a good thing to be on my bad side." As I looked at her, I noticed her eyes were changing. Veins popped up under her eyelids, and her skin became noticeably paler. Fangs protruded from her mouth, and she grasped my neck. "You got it?"

"Wh-what are you?" I squeaked. I had never been so afraid in my life.

"I'm a vicious, murdering monster. And I won't hesitate to murder _you _if you steal Stefan or Damon," she whispered in my ear. "And don't you forget it."

"What if I told them what you are?" I threatened.

"Who would believe you?" she retorted with a laugh. And with that she unclenched me and walked away, looking as human as possible. I gasped for sweet air, rubbing my neck at the same time.

When I walked downstairs, I could see all three Salvatores staring right at me. I stepped with dignity and pride, and smiled at Damon when I saw him. I chose to keep ignoring Stefan, even though I had to warn him about what he and his brother had gotten into.

I curtsied for Damon, and he took my hand. We walked outside, not bothering to glance at Katherine or Stefan, though we both knew what a challenge it was.

We took separate carriages despite Giuseppe's insistence that we share. The tension would be too great, especially with the new information I had just acquired. I shuddered. What was Katherine? _A vicious, murderous monster, _I told myself. But what kind of monster?

The carriage ride was pretty uneventful, except for Damon and me going over the plan again before arriving. I was still sitting on Katherine's secret, but I knew I should learn more about it before I told the brothers. Hopefully, the plan would work and I would only have to warn Damon.

When we got out of the carriage, I could tell people were staring at me. I smiled at the spotlight, enjoying it as much as I could. It made me feel like I really was beautiful, and that I could win over Stefan.

Then Katherine got out. Everyone's attention shifted, thrusting me into darkness. Even Damon was staring at her. Then I noticed one person whose eyes were still on me. Stefan's. I smiled at him, and he looked away guiltily.

Then Damon took my arm and we walked inside the Lockwood mansion. I had never seen the inside of it before, and was enthralled by the grandeur and elegance of the home. It looked like a huge museum where nothing could be touched. I felt small and uncomfortable in this place.

"Would you like to dance?" Damon asked mockingly. I snorted.

"What do you think?" I teased.

"I'll take that as a yes," he replied. Then he took my hand and pulled me onto the dance floor. An elegant waltz was playing, and he led me through the steps so gracefully that I didn't feel like a complete idiot while twirling around.

Then he dipped me, and we stared at each other. There was this moment of complete stillness, of tranquility. We couldn't stop gazing at the other, and I felt tons of eyes on us. We had shifted our way into the middle of the floor while dancing, and now we were the center of most people's attention. But at the time, neither of us knew it. We shared one of the most heated moments I would ever have in my life.

Then Damon came out of the trance and brought me back up. He walked away quickly towards Stefan and Katherine, who hadn't even tried dancing yet. Katherine was looking past Damon and giving me a death glare that actually looked scary now that I knew she wasn't completely human. I made my way towards them, following Damon.

"You're such a good dancer, Damon," Katherine was telling Damon. "I hope Stefan is competition." She smiled menacingly.

"Watch me," Stefan teased. Then they were gone as Stefan pulled Katherine onto the dance floor, leaving me and Damon alone, the one thing we both didn't want after that moment in the dance.

I focused myself on Stefan and Katherine. He was just as good a dancer as Damon, and of course Katherine was better than me, so it looked beautiful. "They look so…adorable together," I told Damon.

"Don't talk, please," he moaned. I could tell he wanted Katherine badly.

"Time for action," he whispered.

"Ok," I replied, in business mode now. Here we go.


	5. The Plan

Chapter 5: The Plan

After the song was over, Katherine and Stefan headed outside where they could be alone. Damon nodded at me.

I ran out towards Stefan and Katherine. "Katherine!" I called. I was surprised that I didn't trip over my dress.

They both turned towards me in bewilderment. "Katherine," I panted. "The mayor, he, he wants to see you." I took a deep breath.

"Do you know why?" she asked with suspicion in her glare.

"N-no. But then again, why would he tell me? I'm just the messenger." I breathed again.

"Right. Well, then, I'll be back, Stefan." She still sounded as if she didn't believe me. Which, of course, she shouldn't. But I did have leverage over her now, so she would just have to do what I say. Of course, that may be why she was wary of leaving me with Stefan.

Just as I thought that, I realized that I should tell Stefan now. There would probably not be another opportunity like this, and if he understood the danger of the situation, maybe he would stop caring about her. Yes.

"Stefan, I have to tell you something," I started.

"Me first," he replied. "I know it breaks you to see me with Katherine, but I love her, and nothing you could say would change that. I feel horrible doing this to you, but my love for her is, well, too strong for me to ignore. So I'm sorry, but I know what I want to do with my life, and it's all revolving around her."

"Stefan, you don't know what she's like," I said defensively. "She's a monster!"

"How could you say that? She's the most beautiful person on the planet!"

"No, listen to me, Stefan! This morning before we came downstairs she threatened me Stefan! She said she would kill me if I tried to take you or Damon away from her, and-"

"Well you shouldn't have to worry about that," he retorted coldly. "You will never possess my heart." With that, he stormed off, leaving me hopelessly alone in the night.

I cried for what seemed like hours to me. That conversation had ripped my heart out. I thought about all the times we had shared together, all the years we had been best friends forever. I hadn't known then that forever didn't last very long.

Then I started thinking about Damon. What about that moment on the dance floor? That had to have had meaning, somehow. I just didn't know what it meant.

"Having problems?" a voice asked. I turned, but I didn't recognize the person.

"I'm Henry Lockwood," he said. "The mayor's son."

"I didn't know the mayor had a son," I replied. Somehow my tears had stopped.

"Well, the mayor doesn't really like me," he joked. I made an attempt to laugh, but it sounded like a groan.

"It's alright. You seem like you're in a tough situation," he said. "So what is it?"

"I don't really feel comfortable revealing my soul to a complete stranger," I retorted. "No offense."

"No harm done," he chuckled. "Well, then, I'll just leave you. But one last thing."

"What?" I almost snarled. I really didn't want to talk to this guy for some reason. He scared me.

"I was wondering if you knew anything…_different _about Miss Katherine Pierce? I just have this feeling…anyways, do you know anything?"

I did. But was I supposed to trust this man? Every instinct in my body was telling me to run away. Plus, what gain was there in telling the mayor's son about Katherine, especially when it could easily be disproven and denied by Katherine? Plus, she would most likely hear about it, and I liked being a living person.

"No, sorry," I replied calmly. "Now, if you could leave me, that would be excellent."

"Of course. Good night, miss."

I didn't reply. I was in deep thought about this man. He was barely older than me, but he did look like a Lockwood. But there was something that made me nervous about him. Not crush nervous, but this-man-could-kill-me nervous. Not that he wasn't pleasant to look at. He could rival Damon for good looks with his deep brown eyes, tan skin, and displaced brown hair. And those _muscles!_ But none of these features could get rid of that feeling that there was something dangerous about him.

Damon came outside then. "Alexis?" he called.

"Over here," I said back.

He ran over to me. "What happened? Stefan looked really mad when he came back inside."

"I don't want to talk about it, Damon. Let's just say it didn't work. How about you?"

"Mine went better than yours, I can tell you that. Katherine and I have a date for tonight." He smiled mischievously.

"Ew! Too much information, Damon!" I mock hit him.

"What?" he smirked.

"You know."

"Ok, ok. Calm down, Alexis. So, you seem ready to leave. Want to go home?"

"I thought you'd never ask," I replied.

So we went back to the carriage.

Inside it was tense. I couldn't stop thinking about that moment dancing. I had to ask.

"Remember when we were dancing?" I started.

"I do," he said with a tone of sadness.

"Was it just me, or did we share something?"

He sighed. "It wasn't just you." Then he stopped talking.

When we got back, I was ready to head straight up to my room. I didn't want to witness the love festival that would be starting when Katherine came home.

Before I could go through the door, though, Damon kissed my head. "Good night, Alexis."

I stuttered. "Uh, g-good night, Damon."

I went to bed utterly and hopelessly confused.


	6. The Dark Ages

**A/N: Sorry it took so long! My computer had a virus ****…anyways enjoy!**

Chapter 6: The Dark Ages

For weeks, Stefan and I didn't talk. In fact, I didn't talk to anyone at all except, ironically, Damon. But those conversations were short and basic and did not make me feel any better. Plus, seeing Damon reminded me of _the moment._

Now, I was riding Starr outside the town. The countryside made me feel calmer. It was almost a drug for me. I thought I might die without it.

All of a sudden I heard hooves behind me. It was Giuseppe.

"Hey there Alexis!" he called. I sped up.

Unfortunately, Giuseppe was a more experienced rider and caught up to me quickly.

"How are you?" he asked. What kind of question was that?

"Fine," I said dully.

"I noticed you and Stefan haven't been talking much lately." No, _really?_

"It's fine. I'm fine," I replied defensively.

"Well, why don't we have a private dinner tonight? Just you and me?" I didn't want to, but by his tone I could tell I really didn't have much of a choice.

"If I say yes, will you let me ride in peace?" I bargained.

"Hmm…" he joked. "Okay, then."

"Yes then."

He was about to ride away when I remembered something.

"Giuseppe?" I called.

"Yes, Alexis?"

"Does Mayor Lockwood have a son?" I asked.

"Not yet. The baby's due this month, though," he replied.

"Thanks!" I said back with false enthusiasm.

"See you at dinner!" And then he was gone, leaving me to contemplate my newest discovery.

The man had lied to me. Why would someone lie about his identity, though? _Because he had something to hide, _my head replied. But what?

Then I realized it didn't matter. As long as I never saw him again, it was none of my concern. So I forgot about it, letting my mind think of other things.

That wasn't a good idea. I thought about Stefan, and how much I missed him. I _needed _him in my life. He was the constant, the person who had never changed. But now he was just another variable, always shifting. He was my rock that had eroded away into the vast ocean called Katherine.

The sun was starting to set in the distance, and I realized that I had been out here for hours. Starr whinnied.

I pulled on her reins, and we headed back to the Salvatore home for dinner.

* * *

"_Hell no!"_ I cursed in disbelief. I usually didn't curse, but this was over the line.

"Hi," said Stefan. He smiled sheepishly.

I turned and made my way towards the door, but was stopped by a running Stefan.

"Please," he begged. "I want to make this right." It was _so_ hard to look at his face and say no. But my fury conquered my desire.

"You haven't talked to me for _weeks, _and now you think you can make it better by saying '_sorry'_?_"_ I seethed. "You're incredible, Stefan."

Then he took my hand. "_Please, _hear me out, Lux."

"What if I don't feel like it?" I snapped.

"I know, you have every right to feel this way, but just give me dinner. It's your favorites!" he tried.

I went for the door again, but Stefan stood in my way.

"Will you just let me go?" I asked.

"No. I have to win you back." He gave me his winning smile. I didn't smile back, but I sat down at the table for two, hoping I wasn't making a mistake. Curse desire!

"Thank you," he said sincerely. I could tell he meant it.

"So how did you get your father to help?" I asked as several slaves served us.

"I told him it meant a lot to me so he did it. He was it was for you, too, though." He smiled. "I miss talking to you. I can't ever imagine losing you." Then he took a huge piece of steak and stuffed it in his mouth. I giggled. I had forgotten this peaceful feeling that he gave me.

I took a gulp of my drink and burped. We both laughed. It was like going back in time before Katherine came into our lives. Being with him was as easy as being alive.

When we were eating dessert (cheesecake), I saw a red mark under his high-collared shirt.

"What is that?" I pulled the collar down and gasped. It was a bite mark. A _human _bite mark.

"That's nothing," he said hastily. He quickly covered his neck back up.

"She _didn't_," I fumed. I pulled the collar back down. "I'm going to _slaughter _her!"

"Please don't do that," Stefan said. "I'm fine. Katherine and I are going on exactly as we have." The last sentence sounded robotic, as if she had forced it down his throat.

"She has you completely whipped, doesn't she?" I said. I couldn't believe this. "She's only using you, Stefan! Can't you see that, or has she completely clouded your judgment?"

"Don't you dare say that!" he yelled back. "Don't you know I can handle myself?"

"No, you can't Stefan! Or else you wouldn't be hypnotized by…by a _demon!_"

Then I walked towards the door again. This time he didn't stop me.


	7. The Climax

Chapter 7: The Climax

The next day after breakfast, Damon came up to me.

"I heard about you dinner last night," he told me. "And judging by the fact that you and Stefan aren't arm in arm, I'm guessing it failed."

"Will you just leave me alone? I don't want to talk about this."

"Fine. You don't have to. But I have a message from my little brother." He smirked.

"Can I shoot you when you're done?" I asked with sarcasm.

"I'd rather you didn't," he replied jokingly. "Anyway," he continued, "Stefan says he's sorry and that he'll be by the statue at eight tonight if you're interested."

"You tell him sorry's not enough," I warned. "He better have something good."

"I will," Damon replied.

"You're only doing this so you can have a night with _her, _aren't you?"

"Yeah, pretty much." He gave me his gorgeous smile. "Good day, Alexis."

"Bye." He probably didn't hear me though, for he was already gone.

I checked the time. Nine thirty. I guess I had slept in later than I thought.

After doing some math, I figured that I had ten and a half hours to go. I sighed. Why was I giving him _another _chance? _You want to love him. _

This constant battle inside of me drained my energy. I couldn't take it much longer. If things didn't work out tonight, I was letting fury win the war. If it did, well, love conquers all.

I set off for yet another day in isolation.

The five hours I spent riding seemed more boring and less time consuming than usual. But lunch was actually interesting.

While I was eating by the fields, Katherine's servant came up to me.

"May I eat with you?" she asked.

"Sure," I replied, not knowing what else to say. "But I'm not much of a talker lately."

"That's alright. I'm Emily." She held out her hand, but I ignored it. After a second or two, she awkwardly put it back down. "You're Alexis," she continued.

"Yeah, that's me."

"Do you know?" she asked me. Her voice had gotten softer and much more serious.

"About what?" I replied with food in my mouth. So not ladylike, but I didn't really care.

"Katherine." She stated it as one would state a disease.

"What, the manipulative part or the evil monster part?" I replied sarcastically.

"That would be a 'yes,' then."

"Well, what about it?" I wanted her to get to the point.

"I wouldn't tell anyone about it if I were you," she said.

"Why not? Not that I was even planning on it," I inquired.

"Because she always escapes. And then she'll come back to kill you." If I didn't know what Katherine was capable of, I would have told the girl she was being a little dramatic.

"Okay, but like I said, I wasn't planning on telling anyone. Why are you telling me this anyway?"

"I'm just trying to keep you alive." Emily sighed. "Well, I better get back to work. Have a nice day."

Well that was weird. However, I quickly stopped thinking about it because I was anxiously awaiting eight o'clock.

But time was slow. I had gone back to my room, gotten attired in a nice blood red dress, and read _Wuthering Heights_ by the time I was ready to leave.

As I made my way to the statue, I thought about the color of my dress. _Blood red, _I thought. _How appropriate._

When I reached the statue, I saw Stefan standing there, looking perfect. _Shut up, desire, _I thought. But desire wouldn't listen. My body ached for him, for his touch.

But he had hurt me emotionally much too badly for him to get me that easily, anger told me. So I went a little slower.

"So what do you want?" I asked impatiently, trying to hide this nervous feeling that had washed over me.

"I went to talk to someone today," he started.

"Oh. Um, who was it?" Was there a point to this?

"He was someone who helped me with my…relationship problems. I asked him if it was possible to love two people at once. Do you know what he said?"

"He said no," I replied with confidence. But then I thought again. I knew my feelings for Stefan well, but what about _Damon?_ But that one moment was a drop of water compared to the ocean of love I felt for Stefan. And then I was once again confident of my answer.

"He said yes," he answered. "I love you, Alexis Holloway, and I would die without you in my life." Then he closed the gap between us and he kissed me, hard. And I kissed him back, only stopping to say "I love you, too."

The kisses were passionate. I had never felt anything like this. Stefan became a part of me, and I became a part of him. We were molded together, and nothing could tear us apart.

"C'mon," he smiled. He led me up to his room. And I was ready.

We both started undressing until finally we could make love. It was perfect, complete bliss. We were giggling the whole time, both knowing that this was where we belonged.

I fell asleep in Stefan Salvatore's arms, caring about nothing else.


	8. The Aftermath

Chapter 8: The Aftermath

I woke up the next morning happy. _What a dream,_ I thought. In the dream, Stefan and I had made up and had sex. Everything in the dream was complete bliss. It was probably the best dream I had ever had.

Then I looked around. _Oh, God,_ I cringed, noticing the familiarity of Stefan's bedroom. _What have I done?_

My clothes were lying on the floor on top of his. Which meant that I was completely naked. I looked down. Yep, I had nothing on.

I quietly got out of the bed so I wouldn't wake up Stefan and hastily put on my undergarments. Before I could put on last night's dress, though, Stefan had woken and grasped reality.

"Oh no," he said in fear. "We didn't. We couldn't have." Then he looked at my state of half-dress. "We _did, _didn't we?" he asked.

"Yeah, we did," I replied. "Don't worry, you're not the only one horrified by what you've done." That was the truth. Last night, I had lost my virginity to a man who wasn't even committed to me at all. Even worse, he was committed to someone else. Sure, Katherine was literally a demon, but no one deserved that, not even her.

"So what are we going to do?" I asked. We had to do something, right?

"Nothing," Stefan answered. "We are going to do absolutely nothing."

"So you want me to pretend this never happened is what you're saying."

"Well, kind of. Well, yes. It's not that I didn't enjoy it," he was stammering. "I did. Wait, that came out wrong. What I mean is-"

I cut him off. "You don't want Katherine to find out, because then she'll know you were unfaithful and she might leave you behind and go straight for Damon. Did I miss anything?"

"So you aren't mad at me for not letting you tell anyone?" He seemed relieved.

"No, it's fine. It'll be our little secret." Then I kissed him. He went with it, and it became passionate and heated.

Unfortunately, Stefan broke it thirty seconds later. "We really should stop, you know," he smiled.

"Yeah, I guess," I replied. Then I kissed him once more, shortly this time. "But you're too sweet for me to resist."

We put on our clothes after that. Stefan had such amazing abs! I sighed. Katherine was a lucky demon.

"Ok, I'm going to go to my room quietly so I'm not caught. Then I'll change right away, alright?" I wanted to make sure he knew he could trust me.

"Okay," he replied. "I love you."

"I love you, too." With that, I left the room, tip-toeing my way to mine down the hall.

But luck was not with me, as Damon was walking down the hall at the same time I was sneaking to my room. As soon as he saw me, he _knew._ I saw the huge, extremely bright grin form on his face.

"I guess it was worth it, huh, Alexis?" he mocked. By then we had met in the middle of the hallway.

I smacked him. Hard. "Shut up!" I shouted.

"Ow!" Damon yelled. "What the hell is wrong with you?" His jaw was bleeding from the hit.

"I-I-" I stuttered. Why did I hit Damon? _Why?_ "I'm sorry," I uttered. Then I ran past him to my room.

When I got there, I shut off all light coming into the room, put on my night clothes, and laid in bed. What was wrong with me? I felt nauseous.

There was a knock on the door. "Let me in, please," called Stefan. I told him he could come in.

He didn't look happy. I figured it was probably Damon's fault.

"You told," he accused. "You couldn't go _five minutes _without telling Damon, _Damon, of all people!,_ because you can't keep your mouth shut!"

I tried to intervene. "Stefan, wait-" He kept going with his tirade.

"Are you really that stupid? What if he tells Katherine, hmm? What then? And it'll be your fault because you told Damon!"

"I didn't tell him!" I exclaimed. Immediately, Stefan shut up. "I swear," I continued. "He _saw _me tip-toeing down the hall. Then he realized, and he accused me. So I punched him in the face."

"_You _punched him?" Stefan asked. He looked perplexed. "I thought-well, never mind."

It sounded important, so I pressed for more information. "You thought what, Stefan?" I asked. "Tell me."

"I-I can't," he replied. "I'm not supposed to."

"It has something to do with Katherine, doesn't it?" I inquired with confidence.

"Yes. I thought the blood was from-from-" Then I put two and two together. Bite marks on the neck? Bleeding?

"So Katherine is a vampire," I stated.

"I'm not supposed to tell you," he responded.

"But you didn't," I pointed out. "Katherine did, before the Ball. I just had to guess the type of night creature."

"Wait, she _told _you?" he asked with surprise. "Before _me?_"

"I warned you," I murmured. "That night."

Stefan sighed. "I remember, I just didn't believe you." He sat down on my bed. "I'm sorry for blaming you about Damon. Honestly, I didn't know."

"It's fine," I reassured him. "Will you tell me what she's been doing to you?"

"I…can't," he said. "She told me not to." He looked frustrated.

"She doesn't have to know," I pressed.

"But I _can't,_" he insisted. "I just-I can't do what she doesn't want me to do."

"It must be some form of mind control," I said. "You are in way too deep, Stefan."

"But that doesn't mean anything. I loved her before the compulsion, I know it." He seemed so sure.

"How do you know when she started?" I countered.

Stefan thought for a minute. "She wouldn't have done it until Father knew I actually cared for her," he answered. "He knows. The founding families are trying to find her and the others."

"Others?" I inquired. Now I was scared. There were _more?_

"Pearl, Annabelle, the guy who talked to you at the Ball," he listed. As soon as he said the last one, I knew he was right. I had known that that guy had something to hide! "I think there are twenty-eight total," Stefan finished.

"_Twenty-eight?_ How could we not have caught one yet?"

"They're good at hiding," he shrugged. Then he got serious. "Should I convince Father that not all vampires are bad?"

"But they are, Stefan." What was he saying?

"Katherine isn't all bad," he insisted. "Even though she feeds, it's not like she can do anything about it. Maybe her only option was to turn. She can be nice, you know."

I begged to differ. "She's only making you think that, Stefan. She's compelling you to believe that she loves you, but in actuality she doesn't give a damn. You're expendable, Stefan, and she uses you like livestock." I was surprised at how calmly I stated this. Then I realized that my speech was like a presentation I had been preparing for since the Ball.

Stefan didn't seem as calm. "Then why does she want to turn me?"

_WHAT? _"Wait did you just say she's going to-to-"

"I don't want to, Lux. Don't you remember last night?" _All too well, Stefan, _I thought. "Turning would mean losing you, and I couldn't handle that."

"So you're _not _going to turn," I stated.

"Yes. I mean no, I'm not changing."

Then I kissed him. He looked stunned, as if he was seeing a cat pull a carriage, but he went with it, making it passionate.

He broke it after about a minute. "So, do you think I should talk to Father?"

"Yes," I replied. "I do." Then I thought of something. "Wait a week first, to make sure you are right about her."

"Alright then," he replied. "I'll wait a week." He was smiling, so I kissed him again..

He chuckled. "We really should stop this you know."

"I know." Then I pecked his lips one last time. "I love you."

"I love you, too." With that, he left.

I had no idea what chaos was about to ensue.


	9. Bad News

Chapter 9: Bad News

A week passed, but Stefan didn't change his mind. During the week, he had watched Katherine more closely and, according to him, found "nothing evil about her." I didn't argue since I wanted our friendship to last.

On the other hand, I was sick. Every day, I had horrible headaches, and I couldn't stop puking. Also, I had mood swings constantly. I warned Stefan about it so we wouldn't have another feud of silent treatment. He was very sympathetic, oddly enough.

I wanted to see a doctor, but I didn't want to worry Stefan. However, I knew I had to, because diseases could kill. So when Stefan went to talk to Giuseppe, I asked Damon to take me. He agreed, and so off we went.

When I got to the doctor, Damon helped me out of the carriage, where I threw up on the ground.

After I was done, Damon asked, "Are you okay? That didn't look very good."

"I'm fine," I sighed. "But that's why we're here."

"Alright, then." He helped me walk up to the door and knocked for me, too.

The doctor took us right away. I explained what was happening to me, and right away he understood. He didn't even have to check his records.

When I heard the news, I cried. Damon held me, and once again I felt that same connection.

"Please don't tell Stefan," I begged. "I don't want him to know-"

Damon cut me off. "I won't. I promise you, Alexis." For once, he was serious, and so was I. This could, no, _would_, change my life.

The doctor then interrupted our moment. "May I ask you something, Miss Holloway?" He emphasized the "miss."

"Yes?"

"How did you manage to get here instead of calling?" he asked.

"Motivation," I smiled. With that (and some thank yous) Damon and I left with a new burden on our shoulders. Me, the news, him, the responsibility of the secret.

* * *

When Damon and I got back home, there was chaos in the house. As soon as we realized this, Damon ran to see what was wrong. I knew runningn would hurt, so I walked fast.

I followed Damon to the center of the pandemonium was: Katherine's bedroom. All I could think was _oh hell, what have Stefan and I done?_

Stefan was nowhere to be seen, but Katherine's unconscious body was. I watched as Johnathan Gilbert and Sheriff Forbes took her away.

Inside the room, Damon was yelling at Giuseppe.

"…you'll be killed along with them!" Giuseppe argued.

"Then let me be killed!" Damon said with conviction.

I immediately tried to intervene. "Damon, Giuseppe, stop," I attempted. "This isn't helping. Come on." It didn't work, of course. I had seen arguments between the two, but none like this.

Then I felt a sensation in my stomach. I knew what it was right away, and instantaneously made out that it couldn't wait. So I puked right on Katherine's floor. She probably wouldn't be back, anyway.

On the bright side, it brought Damon and Giuseppe back to the situation. Damon instantly pushed on his father, for Giuseppe was holding him to the wall. Giuseppe let go, and Damon helped me hold my hair back while I finished.

"The doctor said this was normal," he murmured assuredly. "Don't worry."

"I'm not worried, trust me," I replied in between purges. "I'm fine, and everything will work out." Then the puking stopped.

During this, Giuseppe had left. Damon realized this a second after me.

"Damnit!" he cursed. "He left to help!"

"Help with what?" I asked. This didn't sound good.

"They're rounding up the vampires," Damon said with fear in his voice.

"_All _of them? But _how?_"

"Johnathan Gilbert has an invention. Stefan was listening in when John told Father." Damon was seriously panicking. I recognized that I would be, too, had someone tried to take Stefan away from me so they could kill him. So even though I hated Katherine with a passion, I still was determined to help Damon.

"How can I help?" I questioned.

"Nothing," he sighed. "Not with-with-" Then I realized what he meant.

"Oh," I said dejectedly. "Is there anything I can do that won't affect it?"

"One thing. But you have to be honest," he added. "You promise?"

"Yes. You have my word." I was happy to be able to help him.

"Did Stefan tell you he was going to talk to Father about Katherine?" he asked me.

I gulped. I didn't want Damon to release his anger at Stefan. But a promise was a promise. "Yes," I admitted.

"And when was he going to do this?"

"He did it while we were gone."

"_Why? _Why would he _do _that?" Damon exclaimed. "Now the whole town is on vampire hunting season!"

"Damon, calm down," I said. He ignored me, of course.

"I am going to find him. Now." Then he ran out to find his brother.

I didn't know what to do. Should I go warn Stefan? Or would that be bad for my condition?

I decided to find Stefan, because I really didn't want Damon to kill him. So I set out, hoping I didn't get killed in the process.


	10. Death

Chapter 10: Death

Outside, the commotion had reached a new high. I could see fire in the town square from the Salvatore porch. I knew Stefan and Damon would be in the middle of it.

The square, however, was too far for me to run. So I raced to the stables to get Starr.

Starr was the only horse left. I learned from the stable boy that the founding families needed as many horses as possible, but Starr had put up too big of a fight so they gave up on her. I stroked her mane to show that I approved of her actions. Then I leaped up onto her (which did hurt), pointed at the fire, and kicked her with my heels.

Starr apparently knew the urgency of the mission for she ran faster than ever before. I felt like I was flying, but I couldn't completely revel in it since my mind was on Stefan and Damon.

In the middle of the square, I saw Johnathan Gilbert holding what looked like a pocketwatch. However, he was holding it like one would hold a compass.

Right now the watch/compass was pointed at Pearl. It looked like they were talking, but then I saw the shock on Johnathan's face.

"I've got another one over here!" he called. I watched as Pearl tried to run away but was inevitably shot by the ruthless humans of Mystic Falls.

As soon as this happened, I saw Pearl's daughter, Annabelle, and Emily in the bushes. Annabelle was about to cry for her mom, but Emily quickly covered the vampire's mouth. I knew it was so they wouldn't catch Annabelle, too.

I ran away from the scene to find myself running into Mayor Lockwood.

"I'm sorry, Mayor," I apologized. Then I knew what to say. "What's going on?"

He paused for a moment, probably wondering if he should tell me or not. Apparently he decided it was okay, and he began to explain.

"There are demons here," he said. "They have infiltrated our town. So now we're dealing with the situation for the greater good." He sighed. "You should stay away. We wouldn't want you to get hurt." Then he left, probably looking for more vampires.

Unsure of what to do, I followed him.

"What do you need, Alexis?"

"Can I stay with you?" I asked. "I think I'll be safer with someone who knows how to deal with vampires."

"You should go home," he insisted.

"To where?" I countered.

He finally gave in. "Fine, but stay close. We're going closer to the woods to find escapees."

We both set off for where Johnathan and Giuseppe were waiting. When we arrived, I saw Katherine in a jail carriage. Her face was pressed up to the bars, and she was looking at me pleadingly. I couldn't look back, so I turned to the older men's conversation.

"What is she doing here?" Johnathan asked.

"I came to help. Katherine has done so much to hurt me, and I want to help kill her and the others," I said. This was a half the truth. Katherine had done many things to damage my heart, but if she was what Stefan wanted, I couldn't let her die, especially not help kill her. That would break him.

So when Stefan came to the men gathered, I knew he and Damon were trying to get her out.

"There's another one, over here!" he shouted. All of the men except for one followed him back the way he came.

Then Damon knocked out the man left. "Get out!" he yelled. I listened to him, hiding in the trees to the left. I saw as Stefan came back to help untie Katherine. They were going as fast as they could, but it wasn't fast enough.

Damon was shot first. I screamed out, but knew it would be bad if I were caught in this bush.

Then they shot Stefan, and my world shattered. I couldn't scream, couldn't move, couldn't do anything. All I knew was that my one love was dead, and he would never be able to touch me or speak to me again. And that I would have to live with my news alone.

The men who had left were now putting Katherine back in her jail carriage. After she was inside, they set off towards Fell's Church, leaving the Salvatore boys' corpses behind.

As soon as there was no one else in sight, I ran to the bodies. I felt bad ignoring Damon, but Stefan was the one I cared about more. I shook him even though I already knew he was dead, and when all attempts failed, I sobbed on top of him.

I looked down at the man I had wanted to share my whole life with, and I all could feel was horror. How could meeting one person change one's life so drastically that the one died? But Katherine hadn't been just any person.

I couldn't see well anymore because of all the tears falling from my eyes. There was some water on Stefan's bloody shirt from the flood coming from my eyes.

I stayed like that for half an hour. There was no noise except for my crying, and no one came looking for me. I put Stefan's head in my lap, stroking his hair, wishing that he was here with me.

Then there was a stirring. I looked at Damon and saw that he was twitching. His eyes slowly opened, as if he was awakening from a deep sleep.

After a few seconds, he jolted up, his head swinging from side to side trying to figure out where he was. Then he noticed me and Stefan.

"What happened? Where am I?" he asked.

"You died," I replied. "So did Stefan. One of the men shot you." I was confused. He had died, right? I had seen him shot. But then how was he alive?

"The blood," he whispered. Then he turned to explain. "I had been drinking Katherine's blood for a while. She was going to turn me. The blood must have still been in my system when I died."

"I don't understand," I said. "So you need to die with blood in your system to turn?" This wasn't good.

"Yeah, but I don't think the transformation is complete yet," he answered.

"What do you have to do to finish it?" I asked with a tone of fear.

"Feed," he gulped. "But this was only to be with Katherine. I don't want it anymore."

"So what happens if you don't feed?"

"I don't know," he said. Now I could tell he was scared. "I just don't know."

Then his body straightened. "Do you think they've killed them yet?" he asked me with hope in his voice.

"I don't see a fire," I replied. "You can go check if you want."

"I'm going," he said with confidence. He stood up. "Stay here. I don't want to risk…well, you know." He couldn't say it.

"Fine, I'll stay," I sighed. Then he was gone.

This was crazy. What was going to happen to Damon? And did Katherine give Stefan blood, too, or was he long gone? As selfish and self-centered as it was, I hoped she did so I would be able to talk to him again.

I heard someone coming towards me and Stefan. I was prepared to make up a story about why I was here for one of the founding family members, but I found that it was Katherine's servant, Emily.

"Hello, Alexis," she said quietly. "Where is Damon?"

"He left to try to save Katherine," I replied.

"So he awakened?" She didn't seem surprised.

"Yep, that's why he's not here." I decided to chat with her since I had nothing else to do. "So how did Katherine tell you what she was?"

"She didn't have to," Emily answered. "I'm a witch."

"There are witches, too? Dang," I said. Then there was a moment of awkward silence. I decided to ask my selfish question. "Did Katherine give Stefan blood?"

"Yes, she compelled him to. I don't think he wanted to." _That was my Stefan_, I thought. "I don't know if it will be enough to save him, though. It might have passed through his system."

"I'm guessing Damon drank willingly," I said.

"Yes. He truly loves her."

"So why are you here?" I asked.

"I'm here to help them. They don't want that life. I'll tell them what will happen to them if they choose not to complete the transition."

"And what happens?" I inquired, knowing I probably wouldn't like the answer.

"They'll die."

I struggled for breath. "So they'll die either way?" I asked, knowing my eyes were watering again.

"If they decide not to feed, then yes, they will die." She sighed. "I'm so, _so _sorry."

I couldn't breathe. Emily took Stefan off of my lap. "You should go home," she told me. "You don't want to be involved in this."

"Where is home?" I responded. She didn't answer.

"Will you tell me when they die?" I asked.

"Yes," she replied. "I'll send you a letter because I have to flee. It won't be long until they realize what I am." She picked up Stefan. "I'm taking them to the creek outside the town. Oh, and good luck."

"With…?" I questioned. Then I got it. "Oh. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

I set out for the Salvatore house, where hopefully things had died down.


	11. Reunion

Chapter 11: Reunion

When I woke up the next morning, it took me a second to remember the events of the previous night. It had all felt like a dream. I hoped it was.

Then I saw the note on my side table. It said Alexis on the front in neat writing, so I opened it. It read:

So sorry you had to see that last night. You must be feeling horrible, so I'm letting you sleep. When you do wake, I'll be at the dining table or in my office.

Good morning,

Giuseppe

I decided it was time to get up and see Giuseppe. I wanted an explanation from him, to see what lie he would feed me since I wasn't supposed to know about vampires. But before I could go, I threw up in the little bin Emily had brought me when the purging had just started. Before…_Stefan._

All of a sudden, I started crying. I couldn't help it. All I could think about was him, and how I would never see him or hear his soothing voice or feel his arms around me again.

Then I remembered my plan from the night before. I was going to see if Stefan had survived today, at midday.

However, I had slept later than I thought. The sun was already coming down from its peak. It looked to be maybe 1 in the afternoon. And I still had to see Giuseppe. I would just have to leave tonight while Giuseppe wasn't watching.

Giuseppe was in his office with Johnathan Gilbert. I could tell they were in deep discussion about something for their voices could be heard outside the door. I knocked on the wooden door, staring blankly at it. I couldn't get Stefan out of my head, or what he looked like lying in my arms dead.

"Come in, Alexis," Giuseppe told me. He showed me to a seat, and I sat in it. He took a deep breath, and then started talking.

"Do you understand what happened last night?" I wasn't sure how to answer. Should I lie and pretend to be ignorant, or should I tell them I knew? I decided on the first, since I wanted to be able to sneak out later.

"Not exactly," I replied. "I know Stefan and Damon…um, died-" It was hard to say it out loud. "And Katherine was taken away, and there was a fire, but I want to know why."

Giuseppe looked like he was debating what to tell me. He glanced at Johnathan, who looked wary of me. I decided to ask directly. "Will you tell me?" I asked with all innocence in my voice. I looked at Giuseppe. He couldn't refuse me.

He didn't. Johnathan looked outraged as Giuseppe started explaining about the vampires and how they were rounded up and burned in the church. He told me that Katherine was a demon, and Stefan and Damon had been killed for trying to help her escape. He said that Johnathan and he were rewriting the records so no one but the Gilbert line and Giuseppe would know the truth.

"But shouldn't they be aware? What if it happens again?" I inquired.

"It won't," Johnathan answered. "They're all dead, so there's no chance of them coming back."

I knew I had to get away so I could sneak out. They had been talking to me for hours, and now the sun had gone down. So I asked if I could be excused to my room so I could think about all this new information. They let me go thankfully.

As soon as I got to my room, I changed into my riding clothes. I couldn't wear a dress to climb down the side of the house, so I would need pants and a shirt, and they were the only pants I owned. When I was dressed, I put my hair up and headed out the window.

It was a long way down from the second floor, so I had to skim down the side. Thankfully, there was a vine that I could use to slide more easily.

Once down, I decided to use Starr again. I had to swear the stable boy to secrecy and bribe him a little with a kiss. Poor boy.

Starr raced towards the place that Emily told me they'd be at with my guidance. In less than 20 minutes, we were there. _I'd like to see a vampire beat that, _I thought.

When I saw them, I gasped. Damon was feeding on an innocent girl no older than me, and Stefan, _my Stefan, _was egging him on. I couldn't believe it. It didn't matter that they were alright, they were demons, just like Katherine. If the bitch wasn't already dead, I would kill her.

"You were right, Stefan, it's a new world," Damon said after he drained the girl. They hadn't seen me yet. Starr whinnied in fear. I pet her as I watched the brothers in horror.

Damon was continuing. He looked furious for some reason. "It will be an eternity of misery for you," he said menacingly to his brother. Then he stalked off, leaving Stefan alone with the dead body. I decided to make my move.

"Stefan," I called. "It's me." He turned around and came towards me with speed that no human could have.

"Lux!" he said in glee. He hugged me, but I pushed him away.

"What have you done?" I asked in horror.

"I know what you're thinking," he said quickly, "but nothing's changed. We can still be happy together. I've never felt more alive, and it's all due to the change. It's amazing, Lux, and if you wanted, I could change you too, and we could be happy together forever!"

I was appalled. What had happened to the loving boy that I knew? The Stefan I had known was replaced with this new, twisted Stefan who thought vampirism was the best thing that had happened to him. "What's wrong with you?" I questioned angrily. "This isn't you, Stefan. Vampires are _evil_. I know you. You don't want this." I took his head in my hands. "Come back, Stefan, please."

He kissed me. As we were in the moment, I noticed it wasn't the same. It was less passionate, and more like hunger and anger. Then he broke off, and I could tell he was staring at my neck with longing.

"The Stefan I know is in there somewhere. When you find him, come back." I turned to leave, but he was right in front of me again.

"Wait, Lux. Don't you want to be with me forever?" His breath was heated on my face. He was so close, but I didn't want this Stefan.

"If it means turning, then no, I don't," I replied. "Just leave me alone!" I dodged him and started walking forward towards Starr. Then I realized I hadn't told him the news.

"Just so you know," I called. "I'm pregnant!"

I never saw Stefan Salvatore again. The baby was a girl, and I named her Stefanie.


	12. Epilogue

Epilogue

Stefan Salvatore's Perspective

Mystic Falls, 2010

I was finally back on track. My love, Elena, and my brother Damon had worked together and locked me in the basement after my feeding had gotten out of control. If it wasn't for them, I would probably be feeding on the first human I could find. Maybe I could have even hurt Elena.

But it was over, so it didn't matter. However, there was this feeling of guilt that I couldn't shy away from. I knew it wasn't because of Damon this time. It was the girl I had fed on, Amber. At least I think she said her name was Amber. There was something about her that sparked memories.

Her _eyes_. They were just like Lux's. Oh, Lux. What I mess I made with her. Another thing to feel guilty for. And now I probably have a descendent somewhere in the world who has no idea that somewhere up her line, she has a vampire ancestor.

Then I put two and two together. Amber. Lux. What if-? I didn't want to think that I had attacked my great-great-great-whatever granddaughter, but I had to find out. So I went to the computer that I had never used in my room.

As soon as everything loaded, I hacked into the hospital records. She had to have been born the same year as Elena…yes, here it was. Amber Bradley. Age 17. Born August 10, 1992. Mother…Crystal Knox. I kept going like that in the records until I found one entry in 1865. It said:

Stefanie Holloway

Born June 25, 1865

Mother: Alexis Holloway Father: Unknown

I had found it. Amber _was_ my descendent. Instantly, more remorse flooded me. How could I have done this to her? Now she was in the hospital, and it was my fault. I should be protecting her, not hurting her.

Then I realized I was late for school. I headed out the door, only thinking of Alexis, wishing I could have made things right.


End file.
